Miller, Bavuma centuries propel South Africa to 365

Ellis suffered a side injury and bowled just four overs, leaving Australia's attack depleted

Firdose Moonda

Published: Sep 27, 2026, 12:25 PM (1 hr ago)

Temba Bavuma and David Miller scored the sixth and eighth centuries of their respective ODI careers to light up a festive Pink Day crowd in Johannesburg. For Miller, the occasion was made even more special as he wore his mother Jenny's name on his back, as one of the people being celebrated as a breast cancer survivor. Bavuma and Miller shared a 156-run fourth-wicket stand to set South Africa up for the fifth-highest total at the Wanderers, and fourth batting first.

South Africa's entire squad swapped out their own names in a unique gesture to mark the 14th annual breast cancer awareness day. They have won nine of the previous matches in their change-strip and will feel in a strong position to repeat the feat, against an injury-hit Australia.

After losing Josh Inglis to a fractured finger before the match, they were also without Nathan Ellis for most of this one, after he bowled four overs and suffered a side strain. It wasn't all bad news for the visitors as Jack Edwards, playing in his second ODI, picked up the first five-for of his List A career and was especially effective with the slower ball. On the whole, Australia offered too much width and South Africa cashed in.

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At first, Australia made good on Mitch Marsh's decision to bowl first off when Josh Hazlewood found extra bounce and Aiden Markram hit him aerially to cover-point. Cooper Connolly stuck on his left hand to take a superb catch and end Markram's first match since he left the Hundred for personal reasons for a first-ball duck.

Bavuma was in early again and got his innings underway with a punch through the covers and a pull for six off Hazlewood. He outscored de Kock and was out on 20 off 27 balls when Marsh called for a review when Xavier Bartlett beat Bavuma's inside edge and hit him on the pad. Replays showed it was bouncing over the top. De Kock found his touch with two leg-side sixes off Hazlewood but then nicked off to leave South Africa on 36 for 2.

Matthew Breetzke, the centurion from Durban, and Bavuma rebuilt with a 57-run stand and got the run-rate above six an over. They were starting to look dangerous when Breetzke was also done by extra bounce, wafted at an Edwards' back of a length ball and was caught behind to give Edwards his first international wicket.

Bavuma was on 45 at the time, saw Miller get himself in with a boundary off a leg-glance and then revved up as he took on Adam Zampa's short balls, before reaching fifty off 62 balls off Edwards. Later in that over, Edward hit Bavuma high on the right forearm and he required lengthy on-field treatment, especially as he has had problems with the elbow before, but indicated he would continue. He mowed Ellis over midwicket to suggest not much was wrong and usher in South Africa's most profitable period.

They scored 130 runs in the next 17.3 overs as Bavuma and Miller delighted a home crowd under a surface that settled in late spring sunshine. Australia had to find a contingency for Ellis and used Matt Renshaw, against whom Miller played the shot of the innings when he smashed him over long-on and into the stands. Bavuma entered the 90s with a hat-trick off fours off Zampa but then had to wait for Miller to tear into Renshaw again before he could work his way to three figures. Bavuma's century came off a single off Edwards, off 112 balls, and was received with huge applause from his home crowd. Bavuma only lasted into the next over before he holed out to Bartlett at sweeper cover to give Edwards a second.

Tristan Stubbs was surprised by an Edwards slower ball and early on the hook. He top-edged to Carey. Marco Jansen joined Miller on 98, and hit one four before Miller carved Bartlett over point to bring up his hundred, off 73 balls. He gestured to Jenny, and blew her a kiss, before putting his head down to get South Africa to 300 and beyond. Miller scored 39 runs off the next 20 balls and with Jansen at the other end, South Africa could look at a massive score. Jansen smashed two huge sixes off Edwards before skying a slower ball for Carey to end a 46-run sixth-wicket stand, off just 27 balls. He was replaced by his twin Duan, who watched Miller reach his ODI best with a six off Edwards and then hole out to give Edwards five.

All Miller's hundreds have come batting at No.5 or lower and he has equalled Jos Buttler's record for centuries in those positions.

Duan showed a different skill set with reverse-sweeps off Zampa and played a fine hand at the end to score 27 off 18 balls. For the second successive game, Australia had to play with a fielding penalty, this time for just one over and it cost them eight runs. In total, South Africa scored 100 runs in the last 10 overs.

Firdose Moonda is Cricinfo's senior correspondent for Africa and women's cricket

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